Kathmandu, Sept. 25: A transport operators’ federation says 338 trucks and containers, along with 440 drivers, helpers and transport entrepreneurs, remain unaccounted for after the devastating flood in Timure.
The Federation of Truck Transport Entrepreneurs Nepal said it compiled the preliminary figures from reports submitted by its member associations, committees and transport companies at the request of the Department of Transport Management. The numbers may rise as information from affected areas is collected and checked, it said.
The flood struck a transport hub on Nepal’s northern border, where trucks and their crews serve the cross-border trade route. For families waiting for news, the missing vehicles are more than damaged property: many drivers and helpers were working away from home when the disaster hit.
The federation urged the government to provide immediate relief to affected families, compensate transport operators for their losses and help survivors resume work. It also sought assistance for others whose livelihoods have been disrupted.
The disaster has left the transport sector facing losses that are still difficult to measure. Access to affected areas and the task of verifying who was present at the time of the flood remain central to establishing a reliable account of the missing.
The federation stressed that its figures are provisional. A fuller assessment will be needed to determine how many people and vehicles were caught in the flood, what can be recovered and what support their families will need.
People’s News Monitoring Service
Login to add a comment